TOP TIPS FOR YOUR PET
(part one)
1. Is Your Dog Regularly Getting the Runs?
Add
bio yoghurt to their feed. Quite often this can be a bacterial
imbalance. Especially if it is happening on a regular basis. The bio
yoghurt normally sorts this sort of problem out fairly quickly.
2. Is Your Dog's Urine Burning the Lawn?
Yellow
spots on the lawn are caused because your dog's digestive system is too
rich in nitrogen therefore the high levels of nitrogen in the urine
causes the lawn spots. Go outside and really look at those burn marks.
Notice how the outside edge of the mark actually has really nice, green
grass? That is because the nitrogen that burned the grass is too strong
but the outer edges of the 'circle' of urine ended up with just enough
nitrogen to help instead of hurt.
There are a few things you can
do. If you are observant you can water over the spot where the dog has
urinated this will dilute the nitrogen and will be beneficial to the
lawn. set aside an area the dog can use as a bathroom where you don't
care what happens. Fill it with shingle or just leave the grass there to
get burned. Teach the dog to go in that one spot. This will take time
and patience.
Alternatively a dose of one teaspoon to one
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (depending on the size of the dog) per
day can correct the pH imbalance and could solve the problem. The apple
cider vinegar can be added to the dog's water or put directly on his
food. The natural type from a health food store, not the pasteurized
version from the supermarketTwo tablespoons of tomato juice on the dog's
food twice a day will have the same effect.
3. Insect Stings to Dogs or Cats
Slice a raw onion and apply to the sting as soon as possible.If
the sting is inside the mouth - Keep "Antihistamine" capsules in your
first aid kit. A rapid administration soon after the sting can prevent
serious complications. You can also get antihistamine in liquid form
which makes it easier to dispense. To administer liquids pull out the
jowl near the back teeth it makes a sort of little cup, then just pour
the measured liquid in, close mouth, tip head back and massage throat.
Some dogs will actually swallow the insect live, which may continue
stinging the dog internally and cause anaphylactic shock. In rare
cases, death can result. This is caused from internal swelling of the
trachea which cuts off the oxygen supply to the lungs. Quick
administration of "Antihistamine" can reduce and even prevent serious
complications.
SPECIAL NOTE - Dosage will vary depending on the
size of the animal. Check with your vet for recommended dosage.
Usually they will refer to the animal's weight as a guideline.
4. Sharp Object and Glass eating
What
do you do if your dog eats glass or other sharp objects like staples or
small nails etc? Dogs even eat ornaments, Xmas decorations, light bulbs
and lots of other things that are sharp and therefore dangerous. Here's
what to do.
Go to the chemist and buy some cotton balls make sure
it is cotton balls and not the cosmetic puff things they are made of
manmade fibres. Buy a carton of double cream and keep it in the freezer
if in the eventuality of your dog eating something sharp. Defrost the
cream and pour some in a bowl. Dip cotton balls into the cream and feed
them to your dog.
Dogs less than 10 lbs should eat 2 balls which
you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5
balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7.
You may feed larger dogs an
entire cotton ball at once. Dogs seem to really like these strange
treats and eat them readily. As the cotton works its way through the
digestive tract it will find all the glass and small sharp objects and
wrap itself around them. Even the teeniest shards of glass will be
caught and wrapped in the cotton fibres and the cotton will protect the
intestines from damage. Your dog's stools will be a bit strange for a
few days. You must be careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry
appearance to the stool. If either of the latter symptoms appear you
should rush your dog to the vet for a check-up, but in most cases, the
dogs should be fine
5. Bonding
If you want
to quickly bond with a new pup or rescue dog. Masticate a piece of white
bread till it is a gooey then feed this as a titbit to the pup/dog for
the first 7 days. You only need to do this once a day; it mimics the
regurgitation process when pups and cubs are being weaned in the wild,
this really makes all the difference and helps them bond more quickly
and therefore settle in much sooner.
6. Constipation
If
your dog doesn't move his bowels for a day or two, or if he seems to
have difficulty doing so, he may be constipated. Give him a teaspoonful
of milk of magnesia first thing in the morning, before his breakfast if
you feed him twice a day. If he is often constipated, add more
vegetables to his diet and also mix a teaspoonful of mineral oil in his
dinner. He won't taste it with the food. Do this until he is regular
again. Also be sure that he gets plenty of exercise. Lack of running,
walking, and jumping can make a dog constipated.
7. Car Sickness
Often
Ginger helps with this problem either Ginger Biscuits or even better
natural ginger fed before the journey. The biscuits can be fed as the
dog gets in the car, which has an added incentive of the dog feeling
that it being praised for just getting in the vehicle. Cocculus 6C a
homeopathic remedy for travel sickness can also be help especially for a
dog that has excessive drooling or has been sick. Give one dose then
repeat every 30 minutes for a maximum of 4 doses. Sea Legs can also be
helpful the human travel sickness but check with your Vet for how much
to administer, though I would imagine if you bought a child's dose it
would be fine
8. Grooming
Once a week put a
really good shake of Olive Oil "the one you use for salads" into the
dogs food, it gives the coat a brilliant shiny healthy look. In
conjunction with the oil use a rubber horse curry comb/ brush; you can
purchase it cheaply from any tack shop, strips all the dead hair off and
shines up the coat better than any other brush on the market. They also
do a plastic one that gets all the seeds and bits of debris out. I use
both to great affect.
9. Grooming 2
Irrespective
of the dogs coat long or short groom daily. Even if it's only for a
couple of minutes and make sure you groom over the withers. This helps
in bonding and social status. In the wild the Alpha Male and Female will
call over the other wolves or wild dogs individually and groom them in
their pecking order. Grooming is an important social gesture. That is
why some dominant dogs object to being groomed, they don't believe you
have right or the position to initiate this action.
10. Tears Stains and Bacterial Infections
Wet
areas on the face are a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast.
Bacterial infections commonly occur in the tear ducts. "Ptirsporum", red
yeast bacteria, is at the root of most yeast infections. Tear stains
also often occur at the same time as a gum infection or ear infection.
Staining can also occur on a dog's paws from licking and around his
mouth from infected saliva.
Apple cider vinegar (in its natural
form from a health food store, not the pasteurized version from the
Supermarket) I get mine from horse tack shops. It is a natural
antibiotic, antiseptic, and deodorant; It helps digestion and to remove
tooth tartar; prevents tooth decay and hair loss (even mange), it also
prevents and heals gum disease and skin problems; and will discourage
fleas.
Putting a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per quart of
water in your dog's water bowl or on food can clear up most active yeast
infections and prevent future infections. Apple cider vinegar tablets
can be used if your dog refuses to drink the treated water or eat the
food.
11. Halitosis/Dog Breath
Halitosis,
or unpleasant breath, can be caused by a stomach problem, bad teeth or
tonsils, or something that is stuck in the dog's mouth or throat.
Look your dog's teeth to see if any are decayed. If not, then give him
3/4 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in his food twice a day for a
few days. If his breath is still offensive, then take him to a vet to
see if he needs his teeth cleaned or his tonsils treated.
12. Cuts
If
your dog cuts himself slightly, put some boric acid solution or some
peroxide on the cut and then leave it alone. You can also buy
veterinarian wound powder, the best place to buy this is a horse tack
shop it's much cheaper, Clean the cut or abrasion making sure no dirt or
debris is left in the wound and puff the powder onto the area and leave
it normally heals up fairly quickly. If the cut is deep, or if it
doesn't stop bleeding, pack gauze or clean rags around it and take him
to a vet. If the cut is on his leg or foot and bleeds a lot, tie a piece
of cloth tightly around his leg, between the cut and his body, release
the pressure every ten minutes, and take him to a vet at once.
13. Electric Shocks
Once
in a while, a silly puppy will chew through an electric cord leading to
a lamp or a radio or a toaster. Surprisingly the shock he gets is
normally not serious (though in certain circumstances has proved fatal);
however it can sometimes be strong enough to knock him out. If this
happens, put a little household ammonia on a wad of cotton and hold this
under his nose. Don't touch the nose with it, as the ammonia will burn
his skin. The sharp odour will bring him round. When he
does comes to, give him some cool, strong, black coffee to drink. If
his mouth seems burned by the shock, wet a cloth in strong, cool tea and
wash the burned place with this. Take him to the vet if he seems burned
or injured in any way.
14. What if your dog swallows a dangerous object
It's
a rare puppy that doesn't swallow at least one strange object which his
stomach can't possibly digest. But a dog's stomach is so constructed
that it can usually take care of most of the odd things that find their
way into it. If you should see your dog swallow something you know is
bad for him . . . a piece of rubber toy, a large nail, a splinter of
bone or sharp metallic object . . . here's what to do right away.
Give
him a large piece of soft bread to eat. Then toss about two
teaspoonfuls of salt on the back of his tongue, close his mouth with
your hand and keep it closed until he swallows the salt. Now put him on a
newspaper or some other place where he can vomit without doing any
damage. In a short time, the salt will cause him to throw up the bread
and the strange object. If this doesn't come up the first time give him
another dose of salt after about 5 minutes. Once the object is vomited,
He should be fine. But if he begins to have diarrhoea, or if his stomach
swells up and appears tender when you touch it, give him a
tablespoonful of mineral oil. If he still seems to be in pain after a
few hours, or if there is any blood in his urine or bowel movement, take
him straight to a vet.
15. Eyes
If you
want to clean out the "sleep bugs," you can dip a wad of cotton into a
mixture of warm water and boric-acid solution 50/50. Squeeze a few drops
of this in each eye. You can also use plain warm milk for this purpose.
If your pet has got some mild conjunctivitis try warm used tea bags,
if the infection is more than mild then purchase some Golden Eye from
the chemist (cream not drops) and treat for three days this clears up
most infections, however if he still has problems a visit to the Vet is
in order. In case of a real injury to the eyes from a dogfight, or
something poked into them, put a pad of gauze soaked in boric-acid
solution 50/50 ie warm water and boric acid over the eye that's hurt.
Then wrap a towel loosely around the dog's head and take him at once to a
vet.
16. Commands
Avoid
giving your dog commands that you know you cannot enforce. Every time
you give a command that is neither complied with nor enforced your dog
learns that commands are optional.
One command should equal one
response, so give your dog only one command (twice max!), then gently
enforce it. Repeating commands tunes your dog out (as does nagging) and
teaches your dog that the first several commands are a "bluff." For
instance, telling your dog to "Sit, sit, sit, sit!", is neither an
efficient nor effective way to issue commands. Simply give your dog a
single "Sit" command and gently place or lure your dog into the sit
position, then praise/reward.
17. The Dog's Name
Whenever
possible, use your dog's name positively, rather than using it in
conjunction with a reprimand, warnings or punishment. Your dog should
trust that when it hears its name or is called to you, good things
happen. His name should always be positive and responded to with
enthusiasm, never hesitancy or fear.
One of best ways to make sure
his name is viewed as a positive is to sit the dog between you and your
partner or a friend and say the dog's name. If he doesn't look at you,
give his ear a gentle tug to gain his attention so that he turns his
head towards you, As soon as this happens praise and treat
enthusiastically, cheese, puffed jerky or dried liver is ideal. Get your
partner/friend to do the same and keep repeating back and forth for a
few minutes, do this regularly and for the rest of the dogs life and
he/she should always respond enthusiastically whenever his name is
mentioned.
Some people including myself create a bad dog name so that the dog never hears its real name in any negative situation.
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